Solar Zamp plug question.

Fun Box · 06-12-2016, 09:17 AM

Hi everyone.

I have a Clipper 17BH and it came with a Zamp solar plug on the side.

I'm a hunter and often go hunting on weekends during fall and as you know it, we use a lot of power for heating, ad so we often got a low battery during the last night of our stays.

Since we are in a woodsy area, solar is not an answer to our problem.

Last year, i hooked up a booster pack on the main battery and that solved our problem, after a weekend, we still had 2/3 of battery power. Great, but... with the location of the battery, it's a pain to connect the booster pack and i risk damaging the popane line as it is near the battery.

My question is. Since my booster pack has a cig. lighter connector, could i make myself a cable to connect the booster pack from the cig. lighter connector to the zamp solar system on the side of the RV?

Thanks.

EvnEm · 06-13-2016, 08:59 AM

From what I've read, the Zamp plug is pretty much just wired to the battery without a controller. However, I've also read that the Zamp plug is wired reverse polarity, which is why they say to use only Zamp products in that plug. So, I guess you could build a cable to connect your device as long as you first verify the polarity of the Zamp plug and make your connections accordingly. As far as I can tell it should be the same as connecting alligator clips to the battery.
I myself am a recently new owner of a 17 FQ Clipper with the same Zamp plug. On mine, the male side of the plug is Pos., verified with a multimeter. Interestingly enough, I pulled the plug from the TT and found that it's also connected to a red wire which makes me wonder about the whole reverse polarity thing I mentioned earlier. I have yet to plug anything into it but I intend to use my Renogy solar panels there as well as a connector similar to what you are considering to run another device.

Swampweasel · 06-13-2016, 09:08 AM

The Zamp plug and wiring are for low current solar charging. The booster pack is capable of providing very high curent (Typically used for jump starting) that could fry the Zamp wiring if something were to be a heavy current load. I would continue to connect the booster pack directly to the battery.

EvnEm · 06-13-2016, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swampweasel

The Zamp plug and wiring are for low current solar charging. The booster pack is capable of providing very high curent (Typically used for jump starting) that could fry the Zamp wiring if something were to be a heavy current load. I would continue to connect the booster pack directly to the battery.

Good point. I'm glad you posted that. I'd hate for someone to fry his wiring because I gave bad advice.

I should have stated that I'm no electrician, so take my comments accordingly.

5picker · 06-13-2016, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swampweasel

The Zamp plug and wiring are for low current solar charging. The booster pack is capable of providing very high curent (Typically used for jump starting) that could fry the Zamp wiring if something were to be a heavy current load. I would continue to connect the booster pack directly to the battery.

^^X2^^
My Zamp wiring is barely 14 ga. Maybe even 16 ga.
Not nearly heavy enough to sustain the load capable from a booster/jumper pack.

ChateauV10 · 06-13-2016, 12:50 PM

What huge load are we talking about here? What in the trailer consumes so much power for so long that the wiring to the ZAMP will fry? Certainly it will handle 3-8 amps for as long as you want and that, I think is plenty.

I think the bigger issue is the long-term paralleling of the larger trailer battery (Group 24 or 27) by the much smaller 18 to 20 AH booster battery. A few minutes, an hour to run the furnace, run the lights, no worries. But which ever battery has the higher state of charge (and higher voltage) will attempt to charge the less-charged battery. You end up with two batteries with an equally, lower change.

Thinking more about it, In the short term (3-7 campout week-ends/ year) probably no huge issue. May weaken the booster battery and result is less ability to do it's job, just not best practice, but perhaps good enough.

Cheers

Swampweasel · 06-13-2016, 01:58 PM

You are correct Chateau, the the Zamp wiring will certainly handle 6-8 amps, but consider the possibility of a short circuit anywhere downstream of the booster pack. Those things are capable of supplying cranking current to start an engine. I wouldn't take the chance of destroying the Zamp wiring/connector and possibly starting a fire when you could just connect it directly to the battery.
Just my opinion as a retired electrical engineer.

DocRob · 06-13-2016, 02:35 PM

Short Answer - Yes!
Only two minor issues:
Make sure the polarity is correct.
Don't exceed about 20 amps - the wires on the Zamp plug are only 12 to 14 gauge.

stevejahr · 06-13-2016, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fun Box

Hi everyone.

I have a Clipper 17BH and it came with a Zamp solar plug on the side.

... i hooked up a booster pack on the main battery and that solved our problem, after a weekend, we still had 2/3 of battery power. Great, but... with the location of the battery, it's a pain to connect the booster pack and i risk damaging the popane line as it is near the battery.

My question is. Since my booster pack has a cig. lighter connector, could i make myself a cable to connect the booster pack from the cig. lighter connector to the zamp solar system on the side of the RV?

Thanks.

As already pointed out, the Zamp connector is wired directly to the battery using fairly light weight wire. Building an adapter cable is quite feasible and since you are building the cable you can and should follow good electrical design practice and include a fuse close to the supply. The Zamp wiring is probably only good for 15A or so and a booster box could supply much more than that in some cases. So build an inline fuse into your adapter cable with a 15A fuse and you should be good to go.

5picker · 06-13-2016, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChateauV10

What huge load are we talking about here? What in the trailer consumes so much power for so long that the wiring to the ZAMP will fry? Certainly it will handle 3-8 amps for as long as you want and that, I think is plenty.

I think the bigger issue is the long-term paralleling of the larger trailer battery (Group 24 or 27) by the much smaller 18 to 20 AH booster battery. A few minutes, an hour to run the furnace, run the lights, no worries. But which ever battery has the higher state of charge (and higher voltage) will attempt to charge the less-charged battery. You end up with two batteries with an equally, lower change.

Thinking more about it, In the short term (3-7 campout week-ends/ year) probably no huge issue. May weaken the booster battery and result is less ability to do it's job, just not best practice, but perhaps good enough.

Cheers

The OP said he uses the unit in the fall when he needs to run the furnace.
Most furnaces draw 10-12 amps.
Open a faucet while the furnace is running and the water pump adds another 4-5 amps.
Refrigerator on?... another 2 amps.

Pretty easy to exceed the Zamp wiring capabilities.
Certainly more than I'd want to run through my Zamp wiring.

Fun Box · 06-13-2016, 04:09 PM

Woa.... thanks for the multitude of answers....

I guess i am just at the same point i was... lol.

I have the Cat CJ3000. It as a 12 V DC 5 Amp accesory outlet (Cig. Lighter connection) and that is what i intended to use to connect to the Zamp Plug.

Yes, it's true, we use the heater a lot and the pump may run during the same time, but the fridge is not 12V, it runs on gas or 110V only.

I wonder tho how many amps will be drawn from the booster pack, wouldn't it be just half since it's in paralele with the main battery?

I might just make a wire myself going to the battery because my issue is the propane line that runs just over the battery up to the tank, everytime i remove the battery cover i have to move the line out of the way and the first year i got a leak on it because i was removing the battery cover on every trip.

Anyways, i will wait for more feedback with that extra info i just provided before doing anything.

Thanks all.

Mtelkman · 06-13-2016, 04:24 PM

Another option is to wire up a simple PVC electrical box with some 12V battery jumper posts connected to your RV battery. Then just hook up the jump pack to that. Use some 8 ga wire and run it inside a plastic wire loom. Any 4" grey box from Home Depot would work.

Maybe something like these:
https://www.amazon.com/Allstar-Perfo...EWKKRCW9MVASMN

doc73 · 06-13-2016, 04:25 PM

How about just adding another battery..

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Fun Box · 06-13-2016, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doc73

How about just adding another battery..

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

I thought about that originaly, but then my wife wanted a bike rack and since you can't have anything but the spare tire on the rear bumper, the extra battery space had to give for the front side bike rack.

Fun Box · 06-13-2016, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mtelkman

Another option is to wire up a simple PVC electrical box with some 12V battery jumper posts connected to your RV battery. Then just hook up the jump pack to that. Use some 8 ga wire and run it inside a plastic wire loom. Any 4" grey box from Home Depot would work.

I might do just that, but from the inside of the RV, then i don't have to leave the booster pack outside under the RV.

Do the wires from the battery go directly to the electrical box or something like that? All i need is extra wires that go to the same place.

I wonder if there is a wiring diagram for the Clipper 17BH?

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